Starting Techs

[Visaggio]

Are the technologies that each civ begins the game with pre-determined or are they random?

[Cam]

I don't believe there are 'hard and fast' rules on this one, however it is generally believed there is a randomness around some degree of order. Some tribes, such as the Americans for instance, are likely to get 'peaceful' technologies such as alphabet, code of laws, pottery, etc., while the more 'violent' tribes such as the Mongols are likely to start with ones such as warrior code and horseback riding.

Unless someone has sat and started 400 games to determine which tribes get what, I believe the belief is that the starting tech's with a '+1' modifier are going to go to the civilized tribes, while '-1' techs will to to the militaristic tribes.

[This message has been edited by Cam (edited March 13, 2000).]

[AkwaticDudeCity]

What i noticed in terms of 'free' techs at the start-up is that if your starting location is located relatively close to the AI players' starting location, you get 'free' techs. How many and which depends on how many AI starting locations are how near yours and on what tribe you picked to play with. Don't think you've got an edge with the 'free' techs, for the same rule applies to the AI tribes. Another factor is if your starting location is on a small island, then you're bound to get a whole bunch of techs, usually including Map Making. If your starting location is on a big island/continent with no one else on it, you'll get nothing free, just the standard road, mining and irrigation.
Obviously the difficulty level you're playing is another factor determining how much and what you get.

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ugh crud, why won't they fall prey to my Machiavellian schemes?
[This message has been edited by AkwaticDudeCity (edited March 13, 2000).]

[The Mad Monk]

I concur; I have, in fact, started dozens of games just to see what would happen (and grab a couple of 'good starts'--I'm picky that way). I would like to add difficult terrain to the list of tech- and settler- boosting conditions; a lot of desert, swamp, haunted forest, etc. in particular seem to net the extra settler (at King level).

None of which explains the two colonists and SIX TECHS I started off with in my latest Lalande (Order) game...